The present invention is directed to eyeglass frames. More particularly, eyeglass frames having hinge-less temples fabricated of light-weight, flexible and durable memory plastic and a nose bridge member able to receive interchangeable nose pad units.
A common feature associated with all forms of eyeglasses and sunglasses is that their weight is borne primarily on nose pads while temple earpieces retain the eyeglasses in position. After a number of hours, the pressure on a wearer""s nose, namely where the nose pads rest, results in fatigue causing discomfort for the wearer.
The latest trend in all forms of eyeglasses is to make them lighter in weight thereby reducing the fatigue and discomfort on the nose area. However, often new light-weight designs sacrifice an eyeglasses"" structural integrity. In most instances, the light-weight material used for eyeglasses is titanium. However, the cost of titanium frames is out of reach for a great number of eyeglass wearers. Additionally, titanium temples while being flexible, are not as easily shortened as the present plastic temples. The prefabricated temples of the present invention can be shortened while providing an optimum curvature adjacent a wearer""s head. In other words, there is no need to re-shape the temple to conform to a wearer""s head once they have been shortened since the curvature is prefabricated in plastic frames.
Although titanium is flexible over a long span of the temple, it is rigid in a short span adjacent mounting ends which mount temples to the lenses. Therefore, a large portion of the stresses are borne by the lenses. In other words, once a conventional temple reaches a maximum open position, a temple hinge arrangement prevents the temple from opening farther such that any additional stresses applied to the temple are borne by a lens connected thereto. Only recently has there been a plastic, namely memory plastic, that can handle the continuous flexing and abuse normally inflicted on a pair of eyeglasses. Memory plastic is designed to return to an original location or position after being flexed or displaced. In the present case, eyeglass temples fabricated of memory plastic can be expanded around any number of different size heads and the temples will attempt to xe2x80x9cspringxe2x80x9d back to their original position. In the case of eyeglass temples, they will apply slight pressure to wearer""s head thereby holding the subject eyeglasses in place. The memory plastic eliminates the need for a temple hinge arrangement.
The present invention describes a new and unique type of eyeglass frame that can be manufactured at reasonable costs from a plastic injection molding process. Moreover, memory plastic is extremely well-suited for use in the fabrication of hinge-less eyeglass frames. The plastic can take a great deal of abuse and remain flexible enough to hold its original shape. The flexibility also helps to relieve some of the stresses placed on the mounting ends. Further, the injection molding process allows several types and styles of nose pad members to be fashioned with various elastromeric properties along with temple earpieces which can be made adjustable in length for the comfort of the wearer. The nose bridge, the nose pad members and the temple earpieces will accommodate and attach to any shape of rimless lenses using conventional screws or a preferred bushing and barbed pin attachment means as described in pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/963,826 by the present inventor, William A. Conner, and incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention accomplishes its desired objects by providing a very durable and dependable eyeglass frame that may be adjusted for the comfort of the wearer. The frame consists of multiple parts manufactured by an injection molding process using highly flexible memory plastic. The parts consist of a nose bridge unit, a nose pad unit, flexible temple members and earpiece ends. The nose bridge and temple members are attached to the lenses with a conventional nut and screw arrangement or a preferred bushing and barbed pin attachment means. The nose bridge includes a system of two or more mounting posts having an elliptical shape and expanded ends that function as part of a locking means. The mounting posts are not parallel, but are positioned perpendicular to a surface of curvature of the nose bridge thereby angling inwardly to enhance a means of locking the nose pad member into position. Moreover, the angles of the mounting posts on the nose bridge unit are greater than an angle of the nose pad mounting orifices of the nose pad unit thereby creating additional side locking forces on the mounting posts when the parts are joined. The nose pad unit is a one-piece unit able to be manufactured in a number of conventional styles and with a variety of elastromeric properties enhancing the wearer""s comfort.
The temples are fabricated of a highly flexible memory plastic eliminating the need for conventional temple hinges located adjacent to eyeglass lenses. The unique flexibility in the plastic allows the temples to be folded for storage without damage. The present invention eliminates the need for a hinge or a hinge screw that inevitably becomes loose and possibly lost. Each temple member consists of two pieces, namely a forward flexible temple member and an earpiece angled down and inward toward the head of the wearer. Preferably, the earpiece angles at approximately fifteen degrees (15xc2x0) inward toward the head of the wearer. Of course, the angling degree may vary from fifteen degrees (15xc2x0) without departing from the scope of the present invention. The convenience of having the temple members in two pieces is that they can be shortened in length to fit different size heads.
A male anti-rotation end of the forward temple member is inserted into a receiver orifice of the earpiece to form a complete temple. The depth of the receiver orifice that mates with the male anti-rotation end of the forward flexible temple member is equal to, or greater than, the length of the male anti-rotation end. The preferred method of shortening the temple members requires removing a segment of equal length from both the flexible forward temple member, more particularly the anti-rotation member, and the receiver orifice of the earpiece. Alternatively, the temple members are shortened by removing a predetermined length of the receiver orifice only.
An object of the present invention is to produce a light-weight, economical, durable hinge-less temple for eyeglass frames.
Another object of the present invention is to create eyeglass frames without a conventional temple hinge or temple hinge screws which inevitably become loose and lost.
Another object of the present invention is to create a plastic eyeglass frame facilitating the attachment of various nose pad units.
Another object of the present invention is to create an eyeglass frame having length adjustable temple members.
Another object of the present invention is use of a combination of a temple member and matching ear piece which when joined automatically achieves a preferred 15 degree inward angle to conform to a curvature of a wearer""s head.
Still another object of the present invention is to create a joint in two-piece temple members of an eyeglass frame that does not catch in a wearer""s hair.
Yet another object of the present invention is to create an eyeglass frame that mounts to eyeglass lenses with enough flexibility to prevent cracking of the lenses at the mounting points.
These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of the construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.